This invention relates to an internal combustion engine system, and more particularly to an internal combustion engine having a lengthened power stroke.
Conventional four-cycle internal combustion engines include an engine piston within a cylinder which has substantially equal intake and power strokes.
Although most conventional internal combustion engines include a single engine piston with a cylinder, nevertheless counter-piston engines including two pistons reciprocating in opposite directions within a single cylinder are known, as disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ 1,699,111 Lyons Jan. 15, 1929 2,977,943 Lieberherr Apr. 4, 1961 3,525,215 Conrad Aug. 25, 1970 3,847,124 Kramer Nov. 12, 1974 ______________________________________
However, all of the pistons in the counter-piston engines disclosed in the above patents have intake and power strokes of substantially equal lengths.
The Conrad patent also discloses a ram associated with each piston connected through a hydraulic fluid circuit to a rotary displacement piston, in turn connected to an output shaft for the engine.